This is how far I rode my bike yesterday.
In case you can’t see the decimal point on the dirty bike computer, that’s 151.84 kilometers, or 94 miles!
Sunday’s Team Dai training ride took us back to Dansavanh (see the Jan. 24 post). This time, however, we pedaled all the way there before tackling the dreaded hills. And then we pedaled all the way home.
The ride got off to a shaky start for me. As we were cycling out of Vientiane, we approached a red light. I waited till the last minute to put my foot down, forgetting that I had recently added cages to my pedals to strap in my shoes. By the time I un-stuck my feet, I had keeled over like a drunk sorority girl. The fall banged up my knee a bit and delivered a mild ego blow, but nothing serious.
The ride out to the hills was perfect. Spirits were high. The temperature was low. The team stuck together, taking turns in the lead. When we reached the turn-off to the hills, we all cheered and then quickly recharged with snacks and water. I had brought my iPod Shuffle with my carefully crafted Biking Playlist (heavy on Beyoncé, Madonna, and old dancefloor favorites), so I plugged in and set off.
I had hoped to conquer the hills with less effort than the first time we went there. The music definitely helped, but I still had to get off and walk a few times (although it was no easier to walk than to ride; it just used different muscles). The road climbs and climbs with few breaks until it ultimately plummets down to the Nam Ngum Reservoir. That last stretch is a wild doozy. The first time we rode here, I braked almost the whole way, but this time I just threw caution to the wind and whipped down the hill. More than once, my bike went airborne, and I popped off my seat several times. Another rider, Christine, clocked her max speed at 58 kmh. “Faster than I feel comfortable riding,” she said. Me, too.
The hilly road ends at a casino. We bought refreshments from the roadside vendors and took a little break before doubling back.
Julie enjoys a refreshing coconut drink.
Team Dai Challenge 2010 Project Manager Wil, his wife Bridget, and their kids, Nina and Toby.
Christine and me.
Refueling before the ride back to Vientiane.
One of the riders, Mark, won the Liar Liar Pants on Fire Award as we were huffing and puffing up a steep incline on the return ride. “This is the last hill,” he said. So when I crested the peak, I yelled, “Woo hoo!” and flew down, braking only to take a sharp turn, at which point I noticed yet another looming hill. I vowed to do something mean to Mark if I survived. Almost at the top of the real last hill, I jumped off and took a photo of Christine cruising up.
Riding back to town, the team broke off in to three groups with our little pack taking up the rear. Our motivational leader, Wil, and his wife, Bridget, had each ridden one leg of the journey while the other drove a car with their two kids. Bridget was driving back to town, so Wil caught up with us and pushed us to ride a bit harder. Miraculously, we caught up with the next group and rode together in a big pack until we reached the Tha Ngon river.
One family pulled off for lunch at the floating restaurants – little boats that cruise on the river while you nosh. The rest of us bought water and treats at the side of the road. Our pack split up at this point, and I ended up in the back again with Christine, Wil and Jeremy for the last 30km back to Vientiane.
And that’s when I hit the wall. Despite tricking out my bike with a second water bottle and a fabulous new snack bag attached to my handlebars and full of raisins, nuts and granola bars, I felt absolutely depleted. We had a head wind and not enough riders to create much drag, but Wil and Christine kept us going.
When we reached town, the boys headed home and the girls headed to lunch. We got to Joma and joined some other Team Dai riders. I thought I would want one of everything, but it turned out I could barely choke down a sandwich. I guess my digestive system was taking a break as all my muscles cried out for blood.
Although I felt on the brink of death, I had to give myself a pat on the back. That was my longest bike ride ever. And I did it! Now, can I do it three days in a row? That remains to be seen…
Check out my Team Dai posts for more info.
And visit www.teamdai.org to make a donation – we’re trying to raise $20,000! All money benefits three local organizations that are doing wonderful work for the people of Laos.
Sharon, I was smiling all the way through your article! Those hills certainly take their toll and as you experienced, it generally isn’t felt until the very end! The last time we went out there I hit 89km/hr heading down the last slope after the speed bump towards the golf club! Never again! I was scared sh*tless!
This is awesome, Sharon! I am so impressed. Good luck on the ride.
Wow! You’re such a jock! How many hours were you biking that day? It sounds really over the top, but I’m not surprised since you’re such an extreme athlete kind of gal! You go, Sporty Spice!